Piano Concerto

Piano Concerto for piano and orchestra is in one movement. The creative idea is based on the most popular Chinese original folk tune Baban (Eight Beats), in which one can find the golden section and groupings of beats and phrases according to the numbers from the Fibonacci Series, and the variation method of traditional Chinese ensemble music. The Piano Concerto uses two enlarged forms of Baban as a slow-moving background melody, embellished with groups of notes from Baban itself as well as two other source materials--a twelve-tone set and a basic chord. The momentum builds up to the climax in different levels according to the golden sections in the concerto. General impressions of the style of Chinese mountain singing and Chinese instrumental playing also influence the sounds that are heard in the piano solo part and the Western orchestra. This essay describes the idea and the method of composition of the Piano Concerto, by analyzing in turn the form of the original Baban, the basic pitches taken from Baban in the enlarged forms, the variation and development techniques used in the piece, the overall design of the pitch materials of the concerto, the momentum that forms the climax and the orchestral writing inspired by the sound of Chinese instrumental and vocal music.